Engine fan control



Filed sepa 11, 1945 aN-vENToR WAL Tfn n. @oA/HAM ATTRNEY Patented Aug. 27, 1946 UNITED STATESi?" PATENT G'FFICE 406,48 n. y Eintritts CONTROL" walter n. Bonham, Palo Ane, Calif. Application A'snitelmber 11, 1945, serial Nt. 615,599

is to provide improved thermostatic controlled 'I means for confining the operation of the fan to such times only as when it is required-that is- '7 Claims. (Cl. 12B-178) vwhen the water in the engine is getting too h ot,

Fig. 2 is a front elevation taken along thepart'i.

ing line 2 2 of the pump ancluid clutchhousing of Fig. 1.

Before describing my improvements, it maybe stated that broadly it is oldV to control the operation of an engine cooling fan byjmeans of a thermostat, but so far such apparatus has'not come into general use on motor cars, and' it'l is one ofthe objects of my improvements `to provide a simple reliable arrangement of partsfor this purpose and which overcomesome of the objections to previously proposedapparatus.-

Generally described my apparatus comprises a so-called fluid-coupling with one set of` blades or cups (the follower) on the fan shaft and the opposed or driver seton an Aaxially aligned pulley or drive shaft, s-o that the fan is driven through and by the fluid-coupling,4 providing there is liquid in it. The pulley shaft is driven all the time from the engine by any suitablebelt or gear drive as is also the water circulating pump. The water preferably flows from the engine to the pump and from the pump to the radiator for cooling and recirculating through the engine in `the well-known way. However, the Water in leaving the pump has two paths to the radiator and which paths (passages) are controlled by 'a thermostat immersed in the water being circulated. One of these paths (A) leads directly to the radiator, while the other path (B) also leads to the radiator but goes byway of the lower part of the fluid coupling casing so as to raise avwater level or supplyl of vwater in it to thereby vcausegthe ever Y revolving cups of itsdriver to act upon this water and start the opposed or follower set of cups in motion and thereby start the fan carried by the shaft of the follower set. p

The action of the thermostat is to open passage A only Whenthe engine .cooling water in which ,A

the thermostat is immersed is exceeding the maximum desired temperature vand substantially close the passage B, and to close the passage IA and open the passage B fully again at such times as the Water is too cool for 'engine efficiency,

'thereby Vdrawing olf the `water from the fluid coupling and stopping the fan,rand 'so on as Vthe most efticient thermalrequirements of the engine may be, and without shock or jar to any moving parts.v In the drawing ator is shown, but only the necessaryelements constituting the improvement in the fan control. In further detail the fan is indicated at I mounted onftl'ie outer end of a short shaft 2 the innerend of which carries a set of fiuid coupling cups or vanes 3 constituting the follower of the coupling and running in a circular casing er house ing 4,! in which the opposed set of cups 5 also operate' and are carried ona shaft 6 aligned vwith shaft 2 and preferably provided with 'an aligning extention 'I extending into'shaft 2, or vice versa. Shafts 2 and 6 are suitably supported onrv the housing 4 for rotation, and secured tothe outer n a gear I3 secu-red to the pump shaft'M-which'- carries the water circulating pump runner' I5. The pump shaft I4 is shown extended as at I4V to'indicate thatj either this shaft, or the pulley-'.8'.

may be 4suitably driven from the engine to drive the coupling and pump in the-directions indicatedl by the arrows on Fig. 2. The housing 4` is preferably p arted along the line I6 toffacilitate assembling the parts as well understood. l

TheV Awater passages from the engine (not shown), and to and from the circulatingpump and to and from the fluidcoupling, are here shown as formed in the housing member Land are as follows: y'

Inlet passage 2U preferably receives vthe hot water from the engine (not shown), and conveys it to the pump I5 which forces the water through a passage 23 and various valve controlled passages and finally out of outlet ypassage 2I to. the

top of the radiator (not shown) for circulationv neither the engine nor its radi- V small ow of water past it at all times.

fluid bellows type, is secured at its inner end and fulcrumed against the spider 30.

drical member 22 constituting a valve cage provided .with a side opening 23 receiving Water Afrom passage 23 from the discharge side of the 2# v and 26V and preferably guidedv asby'a bearing hanger Y32 Aand Ywhich rod carried valve 25 and-v also Valve 28 so spaced'rand arranged that upon, y. sliding of the rod to fully open valve 25, valve 4 ing systems either before or after the radiator, with proper setting of the valves to operate at the maximum and minimum temperatures of water desired.

While I use the word"water in the description and claims, it is to be understood that this y (il.v Engine fan control comprising a circulating pump'arranged for circulating the cooling waterf Yof an engine, meansV for continuously driving said` pump from the engine, a fluid-coupling arranged 28 is closed, and Vice versa, tho a small open passage 33 thro-ugh valve 28 provides fon at least a Y -To actuate the valve rod a linearly expansible thermostat 34, here indicated las an expansive to Normally, as when starting the engine after becoming cool, thermostat 34 is also cool and. contracted to close-valve -25 andfope'n valve 28st) that thewater from the pump l5 hows from thepurnp Vdischarge passage `23' through valve port 2G, over and around Vthe thermostat' andthrough Spider openingsv 2'9 and out ofoutlet 2flfto-the radiator, when the fan is not-then operating. Y

v As the circulating water warms up and reaches thepredetermined maximum desiredsay about A18,09 F.:-.the similar heating ofthe thermostat expands it and beginsY tor open valve 254 and Yto close valv`e`28t. these valves being preferably'respectivelyffully opened and closedV at. about 190 E, and which directsV most of thewater fromA the circulating pump (except the smallA amount passing throughV hole 3\3- in valve: 2,8i`V through passage 35- pasti the under open edgeof the iluid coupling chamber 36 and finally; back` into outlet 2llby way o f anozzle 3.1: Y g 1 LAsfthe Waterk pressure from the-pumprises in passage. Seitv srforcediup into the fluid coupling v which causes the follower setofcups 3 attached f to the fan shaft, tostart rotating and put 'the faninmotion,

Any ai-r'infthecouplinghousing escapes by way. of a suitable air relief valveV opening 38' at thetop ofthe housing. andwhih closes; when thewater risesisutciently to'oat the ball 39. Y

Upon, the water temperaturdfalling too much Vfor encientopcrationof the engine,y thethermdstat-contracts, closes valve 26 and' fully opens valve 28 so that al1 of theV water again' circulates through thevalve housing to the discharge end of passage 2l, and nozzle 31v beingV inthe form: of an injector' extending centrally within the outflowing water inpassage 2|V will quickly'- syphon out thewater from the, fluida-coupling chamber-"to thus stop the ian. The use of this apparatus not only greatly conserves the engine heat to the point of greatest eiciency, as predetermined by the thermostat settingA for ythe engine in accordance with. the engine requirements, but alsoA eliminates theu load of the fan from the engine at such times as itis cut outby the thermostat as described. Y v

Y While I prefer to, use a. water circulation from the engine directly to the. circulating pilmlly and thermostat, and thencev to the radiatorfancl back to the engine, as being more correctly responsive to the temperature of the engine, it is ofcourse evident that my apparatus may ber installed. in any arrangement of circulating water engine cool`v for drivingsaid fan and with its follower connectedto thefan, and its driver connected for i continuous driving withsaid pump, and thermostatic means controlled by the temperature of the circulated water arranged-upon predetermined heating toA directo some of said. water into said duid-coupling. whereby said fan. is operated, and upon predetermined cooling of the thermostat to withdraw said ,water from said, fluid-coupling, in repetition.V assuch heating and cooling Vof the thermostat takes place.

2l. Enginefan control. comprising a circulating pumparrangedv for circulating the cooling water of 'an engine',v means for continuously driving said pump from the engine', a fluid-coupling arranged for drivingsaid fan, and' with its follower connected. tothe ian, and its, driver connectedor continuous. driving with, said pump, and thermostatic meanscontrolled by the temperature, of the circulated water arranged upon predetermined upon predetermined. cooling. ofthe thermostat to withdraw said water from said Huid-coupling,l in repetition as,r such heating and cooling off` the thermostat takes placasaid thermostat mounted within the ow oi said water for directin'fluence of'its temperatura i, Y Y

3. Ina structure asset out'in claim 2, said fluid-coupling Vmounted at a point higher than said pump and there being two outlet passages Vfor the water from said pump, one of said passages also Opening to thefluid-coupling ier delivering and receiving water therefrom, and the second passage bil-passing said fluid-coupling, andvalve means controlled by said thermostat operating said valveA meansfor delivering and withdrawing water from said, fluid-coupling under control of theY temperature of said circulating water.

7 4'. In a structure asset out in claim 2, said fluidcoupling mounted at a point higher' than said pump and there being two outlet passages for the water-:from said pump, one of said passages also openingito the fluid-coupling for delivering andv receiving water therefrom andthe second passageby-passing said fluid-coupling, andivalve means controlled by said thermostat operating y said valve, meansk for delivering and withdrawing water from said fluid-,coupling under control, of the, temperature of said circulating water, the

water withdrawn from said fluid-coupling being guided to a common discharge circulating pas- Sage. from the pump through. an iniectortype nozzle to aidn drawing saiduid-coupling.

5., Ina structure as set Vout in claimZ, anautomatic airrelief valve on said fluid-coupling to facilitate the. entry and withdrawal, of water therefrom.

6In'an engine fan control, aA luidecouplng power transmitting means connecting said pump A and s aid driver shaft for simultaneous rotation, water passages arranged for guiding the water to and from said pump for circulating the same, a

passage adapted to guide some of the water from i ,5

said pump into said fluid-coupling for actuating the same, a thermostat exposed to the temperature changes in said water, and valve means op il.; eraed by said thermostat controlling the owff' of water into said fluid-coupling.

7. In an engine fan control, a fluid-couplingcomprising a driver and a follower each mounted on a separate shaft arranged in alignment, means forming a housing for'the coupling members and revolva-bly supporting the shafts with the follower shaft projecting therefrom, a fan secured to the follower shaft, a shaft driving element secured to the driver shaft, a rotary pump arranged to circulate the water from an engine cooling system, power transmitting means connecting said pump and said driver shaft for simultaneous rotation, water passages arranged for guiding the water to and from said pump for circulating the same, a passage adapted to guide some of the water from said pump into said fluid-coupling for actuating the same, a thermostat exposed to the temperature changes in said water, and Valve means operated by said thermostat controlling the flow of water into said fluid-coupling, and means insuring a constant flow of said water over said thermostat.

WALTER R. BONHAM. 

